“The King is Back” is is a fitting moniker for PetrosyanMania: Gold Edition, which takes place Saturday, Apr. 30, live from the Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy.
The promoter is Armen Petrosyan, an ISKA and WKU Kickboxing World Champion, and, of course, the “king” is his brother Giorgio, one of the greatest kickboxers of all time. Six months after suffering a knockout defeat at the hands of Thai superstar Superbon Banchamek, “The Doctor” will be back in the ring facing the Turkish fighter from Paris Fatih Aydin, an international kickboxer, and boxer, who has fought in the legendary Lumpinee Stadium. Aydin’s trademarks are the powerful hook punches to the chin, a good test match for Petrosyan after the jaw injury suffered against Superbon.
The card is scheduled to showcase 16 pro bouts with 11 being international clashes, 14 under K-1 rules, one MMA bout and one under Muay Thai rules. Along the ringside will be several Italian singers, television stars and athletes, including the world-famous soccer player Mario Balotelli, who is a long-time friend of Giorgio Petrosyian.
The co-main event will be a 159-pound K-1 affair featuring Armenian kickboxer Arman Hambaryan, a former Kunlun fighter and multiple-time world champion. He will face Ukrainian striker Igor Kozak, a four-time Italian champion, who lived for 22 years in Naples. Despite the upcoming fight, he has been collecting humanitarian aid for his native town in Ukraine.
The former GLORY kickboxer and professional boxer Hysni Beqiri from Switzerland will fight in a 161-poound K-1 bout against Claudio Ivaldi from Genoa, who has experience in top Italian promotions Yokkao and Thai Boxe Mania. The only female bout of the evening will be another highly expected comeback for Italian fans. In a 112-pound K-1 battle, one of the greatest female Italian fighters of all time, Silvia “Little Devil” La Notte – who holds a total of 15 world and European titles in Muay Thai, kickboxing, savate and amateur boxing – will face will face a young Muay Thai fighter in Albania’s Joana Kiptiu.
From their native Armenia, the Petrosyan brothers hired other two fighters for the event. The former Muay Thai junior world champion Zhora Akopyan will face Italy’s Daniele Iodice in the 159-pound K-1 division. The only MMA bout of the evening will showcase Sargis Vardanyan as he takes on Italy’s Francesco Moricca, who recently fought in the Polish promotion. KSW.
The Petrosyan Team will have other four pro fighters on the card. Two of them, Andrea Festa and Fabrizio Ruggiero, will attempt to become Italian K-1 champions in the 172-pound and 137-pound divisions, respectively.
The event will air live globally on LIVENow starting at 12 p.m. ET.